It's the HAPPIEST TIME OF THE YEAR!!!

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.- Buddha

Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror now! What a great time with family and friends we had! The food was, as usual, wonderful and plentiful. YIKEES. It is salad and fruit for me today. Our family tradition is to decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving. My kids heads would spin off their shoulders if I even thought of decorating this joint before Thanksgiving! I made the mistake of pulling out my Christmas china last Wednesday. Mary Beth refused to eat a cookie on those plates! Nope no way... The fall holiday decor must remain up until the day after the turkey has strut through the house..yep that's IT.My kids have rulz about this stuff.

Then on Friday...all hell breaks loose and we make Chili and goodies to eat throughout the day while the parade and football march on with the Christmas decorations drug out from here to kingdom come! I must admit I love that day. Having adult children and a Son In Love makes the set up wonderful.

Look who is watching TV while putting the Santas on the top mantle. Talk about close up viewing.

Boxes everywhere!

 I especially love when they break out in song while hanging from their toes on ladders. 

How to hang a quilt on a railing. You throw one leg over it while pinning the middle. I would have to go to the hospital if I tried that!

Don't know where to put stuff..just pile it in the kitchen of course! Mom can find a place to hide it! oi vey

And people don't think it snows in the south...Hold on I have a thing about cords showing. Cone back.  Zone one is not right!

Santa is working on Zone 8, Hogging the step ladder too!

Is that quilt batting bits I see? hmmmm

Don't know where stuff should go..just trow it back in Mom's bathtub she will have to deal with it if we leave it in the kitchen or the tub right??? Hey there are quilts in there!

I finished Zone 972 last night,and the halls are decked the joint is ready. Come on over. Perhaps I should post the finished decor. You know me, I like to show the reality of the holiday fun here at Silver Thimble World Headquarters... there are plenty of pristine photos out there! Wait till I start BAKING...great balls of flour everywhere.

Hold on There!!!!

Things won are done, joy's soul lies in the doing.

-William Shakespeare

My goodness...holey moley...it is holiday time. I'm still thinking it is time for the watermelon and flag waving. What happened to summer?  Why is everyone at the mall? I have visions of quilt designs running around in my head NOT SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES! I need a do over, a mulligan. What is going on?

Oh well it will get done and we will all be Merry and Bright. right?


Today is put the Snow Village up day. I have informed The 
Earl de Schlep to be home early and prepare for village construction. That alone is a 3 day job..today it is a one day job. I shall not rest. The village much go up before Thanksgiving. Why??? Because I can't deal with village construction while I am turning the joint into Santa Land. nope no way. Plus it has to snow inside the house for the VILLAGE to be complete. I rent a snow blower and blow the stuff from here to kingdom come. It is swell! I'll take some photos. Everyone thinks it is so pristine...I'll show the reality of it all..just for you!


Remember the cool sewing carts they are hiding in the lawn and garden department of Sam's. As usual the Thimbles have taken it to a new level, and here is the proof.

Exhibit A

We have Karin's little sewing wagon. Complete with license plate and twinkle lights.

Yes friends...this little wagon was loaded for bear!

Inside the basket is Moda Man and Loose Threads. Don't go there it is a Thimble thing...I promise!

Note the horn on the front. Get behind her and she will honk that horn and you will have a surprise!

Exhibit B

Sarah loves all things red. Sarah especially loves all things red with tinsel and adornmentalized (my blog my language)

These two were along for the ride. I think their names are Henrietta and Max..but I can't be sure. I was laughing so hard I lost oxygen to my brain. Notice the cup holder in the front of the cart, AND the horn. That horn will blow you into next Thursday. Don't tell Karin, hers was a little whimpy.

There they are. Parked side by side. Henrietta and Max sitting so sweetly. Moda Man and Loose Threads doing heaven only knows!

Dear Santa,

Please bring sewing carts to all my sewing friends.

Love, 

The Head Thimble 

(the cheetos are in the pantry you get way to many cookies)

I'm TOAST!

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.-Mother Teresa

This is it...I will never recover. I'm in love with this person in the photo...over the moon...a gonner!

MY BABY IS HAVIN A BABY!!! Finally I can say it out loud. I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER! 

HOLEY BUCKETS OF JOY!!! 13 weeks old today.

 

 

 

 

I'm going to be a very good Grandmother. I will only let my grandchild have one hot fudge sundae for breakfast...yes sir I'm going to be the GRAND spoiler! I've got the road map too! 

WHATTA THANKSGIVING WE ARE HAVING. A little turkey already bakin in the oven teehee!

Come Away With Me !!!

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill 

of creative effort. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

How about a retreat? Let me know if you would be interested in coming to a retreat in the North Georgia Mountains...Ellijay Georgia to be exact. I am hosting two weekend retreats. This first is full BUT...I just opened up a second retreat for February 2-5. We stay in luxury condos with fully equipped kitchens. Lunch, dinner and light snacks are provided (good food too!). Breakfast is on your own (in case you want to relax, drink coffee and enjoy the morning!OR in case you sewed until the wee hours and need some extra rest) If you would like to hear more about our little slice of HEAVEN. Just let me know and I will send you all the details. 

Yup that is the view alright!

Yup that is where we stay alright! I rent out the whole place sew we can be "Just Us".

This is the funnest fun that ever was fun! Games, prizes and tons of surprises...An unforgettable experience!

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. - James Allen

From the vast territory of Texas and Houston quilt market to the mountains of North Georgia and then to Savannah by the sea...dang I have been there in the last three weeks. I'm home now and anxious to get back to designs and sewing and blogging and cooking. I don't think I can eat another meal from a bag. Road food so to speak. What I'm craving now is my own cooking! 

Chattin it up with Jodi Davis and Mary Burns in Houston

I have had a fabulous couple of weeks meeting friends at market and meeting quilters around the Great state of Georgia. I feel like I have made at least 2000 new friends. We talked, we learned, we planned, we quilted..well kinda. I am anxious to get behind my sewing machine! When I am around quilting 24/7 and have no opportunity to sew I get an itch to lock up in the sewing room and just sew, sew, sew.  Benadryl won't help. My Bernina is the only known cure for sure!

Quilting is the topic...with Neutrals to begin the show!

 There has been some amazing news from Silver Thimble World Headquarters. (insert drumroll please).  It seems that my book will be going into a SECOND printing after only a month in stores. 
  Spotlight on Neutrals is getting around!!!! Let's just do a little happy dance....can you believe it? I'm so grateful that the quilting world likes my little bookie! Just VERY VERY GRATEFUL. 

Quilts going up and down so fast my head was spinning. I bring around 60 quilts to show. I'm a quilter and if I go to a class or lecture dang I wanna see some quilts. Don't you agree?

More teaching and the obligatory Coke Zero in the foreground..hahaha

Bumpin my gums..sheesh My father used to fuss at me about talking with my hands.

I love this photo of "  US"  Bj and I!

Precious Karen Burns the Martingale Halloween bunny. She is so stinkin cute! 

I have some more fabulous news to share but it will have to wait until Friday. Stay tuned.Silver Thimble World Headquarters is a joy filled place. Why not come for a visit? The door is always open. 

Happy to be home and bloggin it up...that 's me!

Sewing Carts! OH MY!!!

The soul should always stand ajar. Ready to welcome

the ecstatic experience. 

- Emily Dickinson

In the never ending quest to bring the latest toys to the sewing classrooms of the world...this little baby dropped into my last Thimbles Club meeting..yes my sewing on the go friends, I introduce you to the SEWING WAGON!!!!!

 This baby folds up flat as a flitter..heck you can practically fit it in your purse  maybe that is a bit of a stretch. Anyway, you can dump your junk, machine and every notion on the planet needed for sewing on the go. It holds up to 200 pounds or sumthin like that. Wheel the thing into classes and retreats and you will be the envy of the group! You can even put your sewing snacks and favorite beverages in it!! 

This is a 1-800-GOTTA HAVE IT, kind of thing! When Jane wheeled the thing into Thimbles there were screams of delight,  5 people disappeared from class for about an hour under the disguise of going out for lunch, 5 of these Ultimate Sewing Carts returned. They were trying to get a leg up on the rest of the group. sneaky sneaky

In the true spirit of sewing sisterhood we tend to all want what the other ones have.  My group will also help each other out. If they know you are busy sewing and one person is going to the store they will just purchase 20 and bring them back for the others in the group. It is a sure sale. If one of us has it we all gotta have it. Money, checks and credit cards fly out of the purses like popcorn in a popper.  They are generous that way or perhaps it is a form of validation, "  I saw this and thought it was a great idea...what do you think?" 

I guess I'm going to have to put in a  request to the church for them to re-stripe the parking lot because I'm expecting 70 of the carts to come wheeling into class this month. We will all need a spot to park them. It will be an explosion of red sewing carts!

If you want to get one, and you live in the Atalanta area..forget it we got them all. The rest of you can find these sewing carts hidden in the lawn and garden section of Sam's Club. I don't know why they put sewing stuff in that section of the store...makes no sense to me. I wonder if they come in colors?  

 

Lookie!

I am not afraid…I was born to do this.- Joan of Arc

More market photos. Thanks to Becky who took some great photos while I was busy doing heaven knows what! Lookie! Sing with me

PEOPLE DEE DAH DEE...PEOPLE WHO NEED PEOPLE...DEE DAH DAH ARE THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD...

There was Mary Ellen/Little Quilts and sweet Jackie!

Becky standing with "Our Quilt" she and I pieced together...(very special memories are in that quilt)

Kathy Brown Love her rulers and books! And her fabric with Red Rooster is super lovely. ...such a great person! Thanks Kathy!

Sue Spargo and I chattin it up in our booth. I luvs me some Spargo what a great folk artist!

The Quiltworks people chose quilts from my book for the decor of their booth. sigh

BJ and I...friends for life!

Rockin the Schoolhouse presentation..(my children just passed out at my description I'll be hearing from them about that)

More Rockin..ROCKIN, ROCKIN ROCKIN! so much fun!

BJ's cards..all on the website!

Talk about PEOPLE. Part of the line for Schoolhouse. This makes me TWITCH!
Wayyy too many people!

BJ and I getting ready to set that angel free to fly.

Our next door neighbors Paula and Mary Ellen/aka Bonnie Blue with Becky. The sweetest people! They were great neighbors.

Becky and the divine Mizzz. Alex Andersen

Kelly Jackson/aka I Have a Notion. Can you tell her apron was full of scissors? It must have weighed a ton...that was a lot o' steel.

See that Bunny behind me? That is Karen B..the Martingale bunny with blinkin ears. I'm tellin you she is the sweetest, thing. And so dang cute! I'm laughing trying not to screw up the ladies book that I was signing. My signature in that book is worth pennies!

Well if it isn't Lynette Andersen herself hangin with the Silver Thimble! What a hoot she is. Those Aussies!

People...it is all about PEOPLE. Quilting...relationships...with some fabulous quilts thrown in. Thanks Houston!

Fall Market Photos

Asking a quilter to mend is like asking Michelangelo to paint your garage.  ~Author Unknown

I have been on a teaching whirlwind since I came home, traveling all over the state of Georgia doing workshops for the Georgia Quilt Council. I'm having a terrific time meeting new quilters and spending time with them! It is amazing how much I love to be in the quilt classroom. Well, maybe not so surprising because I spent over 20 years teaching Kindergarten and First Grade, I still miss those little ones. I think teaching will always be "  where it's at"  for me.


I will be doing 3 more workshops this week ending with a trip to Savannah. Maybe I'll drop by and have a bite to eat with Paula Deen while I'm there. Ya'll. 


I will show you some photos of market today and tomorrow. Becky took a ton of photos, me....well I was having so much fun bouncing around like Tigger that my camera was the last thing on my mind. (Is there a punishment for bloggers who are not taking proper photos to report back??? If so you my turn my name in?sheesh)

Becky and I with Jackie from http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com (what a doll!)

Lines and people everywhere for my Martingale book signing. sigh..

Our little booth. It looked great. Very HAPPY I was very pleased.

And we had our own little POLE DANCER flying above our heads. Straight from BJ's Garden!!!

The fabulous Kelly from I HAVE A NOTION. On Halloween she was trotting around with an apron on with about 20 different scissors hanging from the apron. It was so funny. (ok, I know, no photo of that, sheesh)

Book signing at the United Notions booth. Look on the table, do you see the little bag of Cheetos that was given to me as I was signing the books......How funny. (Hey maybe I could be their spokes person, or maybe that is not such a great idea)

See my book on the rack of books in the Martingale Booth. I about peed in my pants when I first saw it.

Jodi Davis from QNN TV. Sweetie Pie..so warm and friendly. AND CUTE TOO!

This week I will be teaching a lot and will have some great people and quilting to show you. (my camera is glued to my hand) I have enjoyed these past few weeks watching my book take flight but it is time to get back to the business of designing, sewing and blogging!!!!!!!!!!! Stay tuned.